The National Competition of Children’s Scientific and Research Works in the field of enrichment of the animal habitat “A Zoo of Harmony” took place in Feldman Ecopark. The young naturalists from Kharkiv, Kiev and Mykolaiv presented the researches for improvement of keeping conditions for the animals staying out of their habitat to make their life in zoos more comfortable and fulfilling.
According to the curator of the competition “A Zoo of Harmony” Anna Harazhina, the presentation of works of Feldman Ecopark’s young naturalists and their colleagues, young biologists from the Kiev and Nikolaev zoos, took place there. The Kiev Zoo sent to an internal stage of a competition the delegation of young naturalists who have brought works on the enrichment of the habitat of hornbills, raccoons and Amur tigers.
“The environmental enrichment for captive animals is a very important part of work of zoos. In particular, our young naturalists are engaged in it. Sometimes an animal feels bored and has no opportunity to show natural behavior. The enrichment of the habitat allows them to overcome these problems. The work of young naturalists aimed to conduct the research on implementation of various methods of enrichment of the animal habitat in order to show the animals their natural behavior” — Anna Harazhina told.
Judges, the specialists from the Kiev Zoo and the Feldman Ecopark, estimated the works. Artem Zhelezko and Natalka Kharkova with the work “Subject and feed enrichment of the habitat of wreathed hornbills” took the first place. Ksenia Ukolova and Katerina Kanevska with the works “The environmental enrichment of cat’s lemurs” and “Subject and feed environmental enrichment for raccoons at group housing” by Elizaveta Filipets shared the second place.
After presentation of works, the participants of a competition were able to see the eventful programme: the performance in the Feldman Ecopark’s Theatre of Children and Animals, tours along the Ecopark, including night and interactive activities. Moreover, the master classes where zoologists of the Social and Humanitarian Multi-Complex showed the methods of enrichment of animal habitat implemented here.
According to the specialists of Feldman Ecopark, here such methods are actively implemented with different animals, including apes, wild cats, alpaca, raccoons and others. “For instance, apes wait for puzzles that allow receiving some dainty. They are often interested in the process of obtaining. Branches, snags and hemps are often brought to the animal enclosures as the environmental enrichment. They serve as an additional shelter and means to diversify the movements. Willow wreaths are made for parrots. The bird can sit, gnaw a bark there and eat leaves – feed and behavioral enrichment. The scarecrows from old clothes filled with hay are made for predators. Special “ice cream” is cooked for bears, these animals love sweet, they enjoy frozen compote. The same as apes, raccoons like puzzles with dainties.” – the Feldman Ecopark’s zoologist Olena Fomicheva tells.
On master classes, the young naturalists made objects of environmental enrichment and placed them in the enclosures. The young naturalists were able to get acquainted closer while sitting round the evening fire in the tent camp where they lived during competition days.
